A treasure house in the Jammu University

Staff National - The Hindu - Chennai, India

Friday, March 30, 2007

Treasure house showcasing J&K's heritage, culture set up

Jammu: A treasure house showcasing the Sufi tradition of Kashmir valley, Duggar ethos of Jammu region and Ladakh's Lama culture has been set up in the Jammu University here.

Built at a cost of Rs 30 crore, provided under the Prime Minister's special package, the five-storeyed cultural centre, named Zorawar Singh Auditorium after the legendary general of the Dogra army, provides an insight into the diverse heritage and culture of Jammu and Kashmir.

The fully air-conditioned state-of-the-art facility which has an art gallery, museum, cafeteria, a 1,250-capacity hall, a television production centre and an FM radio station was opened to public on Thursday.

"It is a gift of Jammu University to the brave Dogras for showcasing the treasures that represent the culture, ethos, paintings, history, heritage and art besides old manuscripts of Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir," Vice Chancellor of the varsity Amitabh Matto said.

An "unparallelled" museum, Matto said, it would give a glimpse of the history through pictures and artifacts.

"You can see a number of rare photographs of great leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi and other world dignitaries who visited Kashmir," he said adding the treasure house would delight the researchers, students and tourists.

The complex also offers a panoramic view of Jammu, a town dotted with Hindu temples, Bahu fort and the flat-roofed homes on both the banks of the river Tawi. From its rooftop, one can see the Trikuta hills, where the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is located.

[Picture: http://tinyurl.com/355qbz www.kashmir-tourism-net ]